President Muizzu offers 3 proposals for multilateral cooperation

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has offered three proposals for multilateral cooperation among United Nations’ (UN) member states.

He made the proposals while delivering his address at the Summit of the Future of the 79^th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), held at New York, United States on Sunday.

While delivering his speech, President Muizzu highlighted that the UN has been crafting visions of a multilateral system, but that they often remain unrealized. He added that it was time for the multilateral system to produce “tangible results”.

As such, he made three key proposals on realizing multilateralism as “more than a concept” but a lived reality.

His first preposition was empowering the young people, where he added that the declarations and pacts “we craft must inspire and engage” the young people.

“We’re investing in cutting-edge digital infrastructure, to ensure every young person has access to the latest technologies,” President Muizzu emphasized in his speech. He added that the Maldives understands the true empowerment can be achieved by an enabling environment.

He added that the Maldives envisions digital innovation becoming the “engine driving economic opportunity and social equity” that would allow the youth to seize the opportunities before them.

President Muizzu next proposed combatting climate change for a realized multilateral system, while emphasizing it was the biggest threat to the present and future generations.

“Climate anxiety is not a hypothetical concern. It affects nearly 62 percent of youth globally,” he added.

He noted that extreme weather events have caused over USD 153 billion of loss in the last fifty years for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and stressed that ignoring the 1.5 degrees Celsius target is not an option.

Muizzu said that The Summit of the Future should honor the previous commitments on climate adaptation and mitigation, loss and damage, and on the protection of the oceans and marine resources.

He further assured that the Maldives is committed to achieving a net-zero, climate resilient future. He urged the countries to do their part in achieving this reality.

The third proposal to realizing multilateralism, according to Muizzu, is financing that will turn aspirations to reality.

He noted that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) financing and investment gap stands between USD 2.5 to USD 4 trillion annually, and said that the system that was meant to balance scales has been tilted.

“The Maldives knows this pain first-hand.”

President Muizzu called for an adequate, predictable and sustainable, development and climate financing. He added that the financial system should listen to, and works for everyone.

“Future generations will judge our legacy not by the processes we initiate, but by the concrete actions we take.”

He said that the future generations will demand a system that delivers, and a world where every challenge is met with courage.

“Courage to halt the genocidal war in Gaza. Courage to grant the State of Palestine, full membership of the United Nations. Courage to hold perpetrators of human rights accountable,” Muizzu said, adding that the UN need to be closer to, and listens to the people.

He further called for the UN countries to commit to fully implement the outcome documents of the summit. He envisioned a future that is defined by equity, innovation and real impact.

President Muizzu concluded his speech highlighting that the Maldives is ready to rise to the occasion to be the architects of a brighter future.